Aren’t knitting and the Olympics just a perfect pair? Last night I watched the figure skating while finishing the collar on my vest. I’m going to have to rip it out because I don’t like it, but there will be Olympic coverage all day, so the thought of re-knitting it isn’t so bad.
Congratulations to Ella! Ella submitted two entries. I selected her styling of Starsky as the winning entry, but I also loved her styling of Amused so I’m sharing both with you. She did a great job of showing the versatility of the sweaters. Starsky was the first sweater she ever knit. I have to give her a huge applause for this. Starsky isn’t a “beginner” sweater, so to attempt and complete it as a first sweater is really awesome. Ella will be receiving a Jordana Paige bag of her choice.
Starsky, knit in Red Heart acrylic of some variety, in a dark green colour
This was the very first sweater I ever knit, and it was quite the epic undertaking at the time. No major modifications, but because I’m tall it’s a bit shorter on me than as modelled. It’s nice and cozy, but now that I know more, I wish I had chosen a wool yarn because I would love the sweater even more. Acrylic does make it really easy care, which is convenient. I’ve styled it here with my plaid skirt, in a cozy fall look, with dress shorts and a yellow sweater, which I’ve worn to work in the late summer on many occasions, and with jeans for a more casual option.
Amused, knit in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, colour: Hyacinth.
I knit this sweater pretty much exactly as specified, with a bit less ease than modelled. I love wearing this sweater, because I always feel like the back of my neck is the first part of me to get cold, so the big collar helps keep me warm in the winter. I’ve styled it here in a few ways that I often wear it- with a casual tee for around the house and lazy weekends, with boots, jeans, and a scarf for a shopping trip or weekend stroll, and with dress pants and a chunky necklace (and my knitter’s satchel!) to wear to work.
Jacket: Starsky by Jordana Paige
Skirt and Top: The Limited
Shoes: Payless
Necklace: Mexico
Purse: Bella by Jordana Paige
It’s been beautiful and sunny here with a slight nip in the air at 60 degrees. Santa Cruz’s autumn is a graceful transition from summer to winter. Sometimes it’s hard to select the right clothing for the day; will it be warm enough for a skirt, or a cool day needing a sweater? Both! I think that’s what’s fun about autumn clothing–the graceful transition; wearing sweaters with skirts, tights with dresses and lightweight cardigans with pants.
Transitions and change can be hard, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could make our life changes as gracefully as the seasons change? Yes, I just jumped from a sweater to life changes, but it’s what is on my mind. Today I made a decision for a big change in my life and I hope I can make it with such grace.
Jacket: Starsky by Jordana Paige
Jeans: Express
Top: eBay
Boots: Kenneth Cole
Earrings: Kitty McNeil Designs
Sunglasses: Street vendor in Detroit
You know how music and smells have the awesome ability to trigger memories, taking you back to an event or time in your life? I’d never thought about it before, but handmade knitwear has the same ability. I’d given my sister the sample knit of Starsky, so I hadn’t worn it in many years. This morning when I put on the sweater I was instantly taken back to the summer of 2005, the summer I designed and knit Starsky. I became so nostalgic. I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time, but Summer 2005 is worth being nostalgic for. My sister and I were sharing an apartment in San Jose (some of the best times of my life), I had just graduated from college and I was excited/scared/anxious/motivated to be working on Jordana Paige full time. So many great memories. How amazing that a sweater could bring all this back.
Winter Knitty is here. Here’s my pattern, Starsky Jr.
It’s a child-size version of the original Starsky. There aren’t many knitting patterns for girls 7-13, so I wanted to make at least one pattern available.
It does differ from the adult version in that the yarn is a smaller gauge, I used buttons instead of a belt and the ribbing at the bottom lines up beautifully with the banana leaf pattern.
Lara of Math4Knitters has put together a podcast on how to resize and substitute yarn for Starsky. Even if you don’t plan on making Starsky, it’s a good exercise in the steps to take when resizing and substituting yarn for any knitting pattern.
What a wonderful response to Starsky. Thank you for all the emails and comments. I’ve enjoyed surfing around reading everyone’s comments about the design. If you’ve added Starsky to your “to knit” list and would like to join a knitalong, here a couple I’m aware of:
I’ve received a few questions about the pattern by email. I’ll post questions and answers here as I get them.
1. The gauge on the label for KnitPicks Sierra is different than the gauge on the pattern. If I’m substituting, what gauge do I look for?
Everyone knits at a different tension, but it is always most important to match your gauge to the pattern gauge, not the yarn label gauge. The yarn label gauge is just a starting point. You may need to use a larger or smaller needle size than size US10 suggested in the pattern. If you are going to substitute yarn, anything from 3.5-4 sts per inch should work. Do a gauge swatch with different size needles until you have the gauge stated in the pattern.
2. Why are there a bunch of – marks in the pattern?
The pattern is divided up in sections for different sizes. For example, some parts say “For S, M only” or “For L, XL, XXL only”. The – marks are there as place holders to keep the numbers aligned around the brackets so the numbers correspond with the correct size.
3. Any substitute yarn recommendations?
So far I’ve seen knitters say they are substituting with the following:
Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky
Bernat Softee Chunky
If you’re using a different yarn, let me know and I will add it to the list to help others source a yarn that appeals to them. But remember, always take the time to check gauge!
4. Why is this pattern extraspicy?
Don’t let the extraspiciness scare you off. It was given this level because there are a few things to juggle and keep track of at one time. There’s reading the leaf pattern chart, decreasing at the armhole and decreasing at the neck. None of these things are overly difficult, even the stitch pattern is simple when you get the hang of it. It’s when you combine everything that it starts to give the challenge. But, it is certainly doable. Just keep good notes on what row you’re on and how many times you’ve done the decreases.
Aren’t knitting and the Olympics just a perfect pair? Last night I watched the figure skating while finishing the collar on my vest. I’m going to have to rip it out because I don’t like it, but there will be Olympic coverage all day, so the thought of re-knitting it isn’t so bad.
